Mae Respicio is always reliable for excellent middle grade books featuring strong family relationships, explorations of friendship, and characters growing into themselves. How to Win a Slime War is no different. This is a perfect story of family traditions and expectations, the changing dynamics of friendship in middle school, and a main character finding his voice. Highly recommended.

Great book about family, community, a slime war, and learning to play soccer.. Alex and his dad take over his family’s Asian market while the relatives are away, Alex starts at a new school where Meadow sells her slime. Alex want to sell his slime as well so a war begins. While this is going on, Alex’s dad wants him to play soccer even though Alex does not, but he agrees to try it. Friend issues arise during the slime war when they want Alex to do things he doesn’t think he should . As Alex’s dad makes changes at the market that Alex doesn’t agree with, the soccer season is finally over. Alex finds his voice when it comes to the slime war, soccer, and changes his dad has made and speaks up.